Franchisee Chris Monteverde will convert the stores to the Big O Tires format in the next few months. Monteverde also owns 19 Big O Tires stores in California.

“Chris is an exceptional operator; he and his team live the values of the Big O Tires brand each and every day and we’re fortunate to have them representing the team,” says John Kairys, vice president and general manager of Big O Tires. “We are excited about the expansion and the opportunity to serve the customers in the San Antonio and Corpus Christi markets while living up to our ultimate goal to be the team you trust.”

With the nine added stores, Big O Tires has more than 455 independently-owned and operated locations in 25 states.

“As an organization with more than 3,200 retail locations, both company-owned and franchise, it’s imperative that we consider our entire portfolio when evaluating opportunities,” says Erik Olsen, CEO and president of TBC. “We will now have the opportunity to serve consumers in the state of Texas through three retail great brands - Big O Tires, Midas and NTB — at nearly 170 locations.”

Brant Wilson, president and chief operating officer of the Franchise Group for TBC, says, “As a group, the franchise organization is fortunate to have the breadth and depth of support from our parent company, TBC. It provides us with unique opportunities, such as this one, where we can share a new business venture with franchisees that they may not otherwise have access to if they were not affiliated with the organization.”

The rebranding of the 19 NTB stores into Big O Tires locations, like this one owned by Monteverde in Napa, Calif., is underway.

"The opportunity to expand our portfolio within the Big O brand and have a chance to do business in the great state of Texas was one that we didn’t think twice about,” says Monteverde. “We’re excited about the future and eager to continue exceeding customer expectations in California as we make a name for ourselves in Texas.”

This isn't the first time TBC turned some of its company-owned retail stores over to a franchisee. At the end of 2017, TBC expanded the Big O Tires brand when it franchised more than 40 company-owned NTB locations in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri to Western Automotive Ventures Inc.

That franchisee also had an existing relationship with TBC and Big O Tires. A Western Automotive Ventures affiliate, Western Automotive Group LLC, also owns and operates 11 Big O Tires locations in Nevada.

The husband-wife team of Mike and Julie Holmes is taking on matching job titles at Virginia Tire & Auto LLC. They've also promoted an employee to serve as the tire dealership's first chief operating officer.

With the continuing growth of the CUV and SUV market, Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. has created the Avalanche XUV, a winter tire wholly dedicated to the most popular style of vehicles on American streets.